Large machines such as, for example, wheel loaders, off-highway haul trucks, excavators, motor graders, and other types of earth-moving machines are used to perform a variety of tasks. Some of these tasks involve intermittently moving between and stopping at certain locations within a worksite and, because of the poor visibility provided to operators of the machines, these tasks can be difficult to complete safely and effectively. In fact, it is not uncommon for obstacles, such as light duty vehicles, to move and stop near the machine completely unnoticed by the operator. When an obstacle remains unnoticed, the machine may move toward and collide with the obstacle. This collision may necessitate an accident investigation. During this accident investigation, the machine may be taken out of service, thereby reducing the productivity and efficiency of the worksite.
One way to minimize the effect of obstacles near a machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,015 (the '015 patent) issued to Rao et al. on Jan. 2, 2007. The '015 patent describes a vehicle that includes multiple vision sensing systems. The vision sensing systems have vision receivers and generate an object detection signal. The '015 patent also describes a controller that includes a plurality of sensing system aid modules. The sensing system aid modules correspond to each of the vision sensing systems. The controller operates the sensing system aid modules in response to a vehicle parameter, and generates a safety system signal in response to the object detection signal. The sensing system aid modules have associated operating modes and operate the vision sensing systems in the operating modes in response to the vehicle parameter. Operating modes include adaptive cruise control mode, parking-aid mode, reversing-aid mode, pre-collision sensing mode, lane departure aid mode, and lane-keeping aid mode. The controller indicates the safety system signal via an indicator.
Although the system aid modules of the '015 patent may operate the vision sensing systems of the '015 patent to detect objects, the vision sensing systems may do little to detect objects when operated in certain operating modes, in response to a vehicle parameter. As a result of these non-detections, the indicator of the '015 patent may fail to indicate relevant safety system signals. For example, when a reverse gear of the vehicle of the '015 patent is not engaged, the controller of the '015 patent does not operate a reversing-aid mode. When the reversing-aid mode is not operated, objects rearward and within approximately 2-5 meters of the vehicle are not detected or indicated. But, an operator may find these objects relevant to a possible collision situation. For example, when the reverse gear is not engaged, a neutral gear may be engaged. When the neutral gear is engaged, the vehicle may roll in the rearward direction and collide with obstacles within approximately 2-5 meters of the vehicle. Moreover, though the indicator may fail to indicate relevant safety system signals, it may indicate extraneous safety system signals. In particular, the indicator may indicate safety system signals that are not relevant to certain vehicle movements. For example, when the reverse gear of the vehicle is engaged, the controller operates a forward vision system in pre-collision mode. When the forward vision system operates in pre-collision mode, objects forward of the vehicle are detected and indicated. But, these detections and indications may confuse or annoy the operator, thereby reducing the indicator's future effectiveness.
The disclosed system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.